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Bringing the next generation along...

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Boulder Ed said:
I also dont get much more that 5-6k on any rear, maybe 7 on the front. These guys that claim 10k are dreaming ...
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No dreams here, documented over 11000 on GS850. Have to go outside to shop actual number. Too hot right now. 30% Dirt maybe, rest hard top. I'm no GP racer but ride fairly hard.
 
Just over 25,000 miles now, only on 3rd tire, a big block, it didn't do great.
 
5 new rear tires on my 950 KTM before it had 15,000 miles on it I finally figured out what was wrong with them , my shoulders were soar all the time causing the tires to wear out faster . once I got my shoulders to quit hurting so much the tires started lasting longer .
 
Recreation.gov shows ALL reservations for Glacier NP Going to the Sun Road, Many Glacier, North Fork, and Two Medicine as booked for EVERY SINGLE DAY until July 1 2025... So I guess that pretty much leaves everyone planning a long trip to get there on the off chance that they MIGHT be able to get a reservation :doh:

I am not generally a morning person, but maybe we can get by based on the before 6:00am exception or the after 3:00pm exception.
 
During times when reservations are necessary I recommend going after 3:00.
 
leeroy said:
During times when reservations are necessary I recommend going after 3:00.
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Yeah, that is kind of where I am leaning as well. It just means we have to work our scheduling/route around that.

I figure there is NO WAY every single day between now and July 2025 is already reserved. I figure they just mark it that way and then "release" reservations 24hrs in advance to make it more of a pain for people to plan a trip, so they won't go if they can't know for certain they will be able to get in, and they just stay home. That right there would knock out a LOT of potential visitors unwilling to travel so far if they might not be able to get in. Those that will, or who are already in the area like us, can check 24hrs ahead of time with the app and there will likely be some openings.
 
Are Bryce and Zion the same way as well?
 
Daniel has his Hero 9 GoPro and I was thinking of getting something similar, but decided instead to get an Insta360 X3. I like that you can use the same capture to create multiple views as independent clips. I found a deal with an affiliate link from a YT channel I like that got me the motorcycle bundle and 70cm invisible selfie stick included for free.

I think we are pretty well set for a wide variety of video footage from his GoPro, the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, the Insta360 X3, and our phones. All of those can also do still shots, but I will also be carrying my Olympus T5 that shoots in RAW for the nice scenery shots. It fits real nice in my left breast pocket on my jacket and is easy to get out, take the pics, and stash in a hurry.

I am undecided how I want to handle audio. The GoPro has a lot of wind noise and I assume the Insta360 X3 will have that issue as well. Daniel may want to get the GoPro Media Mod to deal with that. We will all be using SENA 20S communicators, but I am not really interested in capturing our casual chatting while riding. I was thinking more along the lines of capturing the sounds of the bike and my occasional stream of consciousness rambling inspired by great riding, spectacular scenery, and thought provoking odd moments. It might also be nice just for capturing narration that I might use as inspiration for later voice over in videos or as material for written reports.

I am thinking this might work,

www.dji.com

DJI Mic - Elevated Audio On the Go - DJI

DJI Mic is a compact, lightweight, and powerful wireless microphone system that delivers exceptional sound quality at distances of up to 250 m. <sup>[1]</sup> The transmitter provides clear, professional-level recording of vocals, ambient sounds, or musical instruments. With built-in storage...
www.dji.com www.dji.com


If I understand correctly, I can use one mic for the bike sounds, one for my head sounds, and both will send to the receiver that stores the audio which is then later transferred to the computer for editing. I think it is even possible to mount the receiver to the Insta360 X3 so that the voice audio is added to the video file in real time? I just don't think I'd do that with the Insta360 X3 sitting way out on the selfie pole while riding. Seems like that would be a lot of weight flapping in the wind. But it could be cool to use if the camera is pulled in closer to the bike and not way out on the end of the extended pole. The guy in the vid mentions using a lavalier mic in the helmet and putting the transmitter/mic in a pocket so it is not mounted in the helmet. That might fit better with the SENA mic already being in there. The DJI mics and the lavalier mics would all have the fuzzball wind suppressors on them.

Have you done anything like this? Tips? Tricks? Gotchas?
 
Well, it was a bittersweet ride on the KTM 530 EXC this evening. The bike is for sale and a serious buyer is coming to look at and likely take it home Friday evening. So this was my last rip on it. I decided to hit a few of my local fun roads just to make some power slide memories to keep with me once it is gone. It was HOT and HUMID, but still a pretty evening. I made it home juuuust before dark. Only had one close call with a car that tried to kill me and a deer that took off into the woods after darting across the road. I really shouldn't ride the bike right before trying to let it go... It makes me question my sanity!

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Sooo many awesome memories with this bike! But, the sale of this one will fund making more great memories with Sarah and Daniel on our upcoming adventure!
 
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Tourmeister said:
That is incredibly disappointing. I guess when we get in the area we can try to get reservations and if they are not available we'll just cut that chunk off the trip :shrug:
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Pull up to whatever entrance there is, explain this epic journey to whoever is at the entrance, and tell the kids to put on their best sad puppy faces and don't be afraid to add a little sobbing and "we rode so far just to see this!" drama. Put on your best Griswolds, ya never know! :thumb:
 
Tourmeister said:
So my first "go for it all" route came out around 12K miles... :eek2: :lol2:

Yeah, anyway, snapping back to reality, I decided we would just drop the West coast completely and stick closer to the Rocky Mountains. The new plan is to trailer out to Farmington, NM. I have a former client that lives there and has a nice secure place for us to leave the truck/trailer. Then we will make a big loop through Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. I have 40 days of routes planned, an average of 6 hours riding time each day, for a total route length of 8300 miles, give or take a bit depending on weather and alternative option routes. Ideally, we will get away sometime between August 5-12th. Whether or not we actually do the whole 40 days worth of routes is up in the air depending on what happens during the trip and how we feel as we go along. But it is good to have a plan just in case... I tried to keep the daily mileage between 150 and 250 depending on the mix of street/dirt, shorter days for more dirt and longer days for more street. Either way, I have tried to keep the "moving" time around 6 hours per day, leaving plenty of time for breaks, stops for pictures, sight seeing, etc,... I am sure we will have some days where we don't ride at all. Ideally, we will return sometime around early October. Here is a quick screenshot of the overall plan,

View attachment 351875

We'll be running the route clockwise, heading into Utah first, then Idaho, and back down through Montana to Wyoming and Colorado. If we get pressed for time or tired of riding, much of the Northeast section of the Colorado routes can be dropped, removing 7 of the 40 days.

The kids want to visit Canada just so they can say they have been there. I will be carrying so that would be a problem for me. I may just send them over and wait for them to get back, but they will be 18 and 17, so I don't know if their young age might be an issue. We will all have valid passports with us.

It seems like the list of things to do keeps getting longer, not shorter, no matter how much I get done! I don't think it has hit the kids yet as they are not feeling any sense of urgency regarding preparations. I'll chalk that up to lack of experience. In my world, August 1st is coming FAST! The farkling of bikes is done for the most part. What remains is to do an oil change on all bikes, new tires on all bikes, and new chains/sprockets on the 390s. Other than that, I just need to get them to get serious about thinking what they want/need to bring with them and how to pack it. I REALLY want them to have most of that done by the end of June so we can do a few local rides setup the way we'll be riding for the trip so we can see if there are any issues, and if we do have issues I want to have time to address them before leaving.

Strange how the time can seem to be moving so fast and yet dragging at the same time...
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Looks like an EPIC trip!
 
So Daniel was pouting about the possibility of me selling the KTM 530 EXC before he got to ride it. This evening I actually got done working at a reasonable time and agreed to take him for a quick run on some nearby dirt roads before our potential buyer arrived Saturday morning. When we pulled back into the driveway I hear, "This can be good..." :uhoh: I turn around to see Daniel pointing down to the front sprocket and there is oil on the frame, bash plate, swing arm, chain, rear wheel, and all over the underside of the fender :doh: Been here, done that, but don't have the necessary parts on hand to get it fixed before tomorrow morning :roll: So I called the potential buyer to let him know not to come. I can't sell a bike I know has a problem and I want him to be able to take it home and go for a ride without having to worry about it. The countershaft seal has let go. I am hoping our "local" dealer in Conroe will have the parts in stock. If so, I should be able to get down there, get them, get home, and get the bike fixed before the buyer for the XT250 shows up around 1:00pm. Then the bike will need a good washing. I can't let a potential buyer walk up and see all that oil everywhere. My OCD just can't handle that. :nono:

On the plus side, Daniel rode the bike very well and REALLY enjoyed it. He was trying to talk me out of selling it so he could ride it :lol2: I told him he was third in line if he wanted to buy it :-P
 
Well, the XT250 has left for its new home! The garage feels bigger already!!

The kids and I shot down to CycleShack North in Conroe and they had the KTM parts in stock, $6.47. That has to be my cheapest in/out visit in a long time! They all had to test the seats on various bikes. Sarah really likes the little KTM 390 fully faired sport bike, whatever that is called. Daniel and I both really like the KTM 890 Rallye. Rachel likes the naked 390 Duke and can actually reach the ground. Since I just sold the XT250, she will no doubt suddenly decide she wants to try riding :doh: :lol2:

Daniel and I got the countershaft seals for the 530 replaced last night. Hopefully I will be able to get it out for a test ride one evening this week. Right now it is so freaking hot and humid it is miserable just walking between the house and the garage! :doh: Beth and the kids will be gone for youth camp all this week, so I am hoping I'll have some free evenings in the garage to get a lot of last minute little stuff taken care of so we can do some test rides on the bikes with full gear after they get back.
 
Yeah, that is it. She really likes that one. Daniel could barely sit on it :lol2:
 
Something about that color combo I can't stop looking at it. I'm sure I'd stop if I knew what it cost.
 
Got in a FAST and HOT ride on the 530 this evening so I could make sure the new countershaft seals were good to go. They are. I also mounted up my new Insta360 X3 camera. Now I just have to figure out how to edit it for YouTube.
 
Here are my first efforts with the Insta360 X3. Already I can see things I want to do differently, especially with regard to sound. The editing is a bit odd, but I just need to get used to it.




I need to get better at "keyframing" which is setting the transitions from one perspective to another during the video. I also want to find better mount locations, but they are far and few between on the 530! The GS will be better because it has all kinds of places to attach stuff.
 
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